1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to scaffolding and work platforms, and in particular, to a portable work platform that can be raised and lowered.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
In recent years, fork lift trucks and, in particular, so-called well-known "shooting boom" fork lift trucks, have become very popular in the building trades, for construction services, and for many other uses. It is often desired to elevate one or more workmen in order to work on an elevated job or workpiece in an otherwise inaccessible area. The safety of such elevated workers is of primary concern. Elevating scaffolding apparatus are known that have dedicated machinery for raising and lowering the scaffolding, but the machinery, typically being integral with the scaffolding, cannot be used for any purpose than to elevate the scaffolding.
It is therefore desirable to have an elevating platform for use with a lift truck, whereby the lift truck can be used to safely lift workers on the platform and further whereby the lift truck can still be used for other purposes when an elevated scaffolding platform is not needed.
Furthermore, there are highway regulations that limit the width of transported loads that are carried down a highway on the bed of a transport truck. It is therefore further desirable to provide an elevating platform that has an extended-width deck on which workers may stand while working at an elevated position, and that further has a reduced width for transport along a highway when loaded onto the bed of a transport truck.
A preliminary patentability search in Class 182, subclasses 223, 63.1, 2.8, 113, and 222, produced the following patents, some of which may be relevant to the present invention: Hiyama, U.S. Pat. No. 3,301,348, issued Jan. 31, 1967; Atchey, U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,337, issued Oct. 14, 1969; Clark, U.S. Pat. No. 3,842,933, issued Oct. 22, 1974; Enoki et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,612, issued Nov. 4, 1986; Garnett, U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,827, issued Oct. 16, 1990; and Henderson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,953, issued Sep. 17, 1996.
Additionally, the inventors of the present invention hereby disclose well-known prior art over-center toggle locking action manual clamps sold by DE-STA-CO Industrial Products, P.O. Box 2800, Troy, Mich. 48007, as manual clamp models 323, 331, and 341.
None of these references, either singly or in combination, disclose or suggest the present invention.